Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Spiral 2 is the first modular smartphone you’ll be able to buy

Published Jan 15th, 2015 6:50AM EST
Project Ara Spiral 2 Specs and Release Date
Image: Google

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Google on Wednesday unveiled more details about its modular smartphone plans at the Project Ara Developers Conference, announcing the first such handset that interested fans are going to be able to buy. Set to debut in Puerto Rico later this year, where Google will conduct its first market test, the first Project Ara phone will not be the high-end Android handset you may have been fantasizing about. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering that Project Ara is a modular smartphone, which you should be able to turn into a flagship-like handset in no time, assuming certain modules will become immediately available for purchase.

FROM EARLIER: Check out these new photos of Google’s crazy experimental smartphone

Called Spiral 2, the first Project Ara phone packs a 1280 x 720 display, dual application processors including Marvell’s PXA1928 and NVIDIA’s Tegra K1, 5-megapixel camera, 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Unfortunately, the device will have a battery that’s 20% to 30% smaller than an average smartphone battery, which means battery life might not be that great.

Initially, 11 working modules will be available to buyers, with the number supposed to reach 30 by the end of the year. The first modules collection will include a better camera, and 4G LTE support.

Pricing for the handset, and actual release dates aren’t available at this point. A promo video further explaining the theoretical advantages of building your own smartphone follows below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.